The number of dilapidated and emergency buildings and structures is increasing every year. Various factors can lead to this, including obsolescence of structures and natural causes. Besides, maintenance of buildings and structures leads to their aging, that is, to physical wear of structural elements. Therefore, the task of determining the actual technical state of an object becomes important. The article deals with qualitative and quantitative operational characteristics of buildings, as well as an overview of the current state of the real estate fund in St. Petersburg. The purpose of this article is to analyze the change in modern methods and technologies for technical survey and operation of real estate, as well as operational characteristics that affect the normative technical condition of buildings and structures. It has been found necessary to develop a new methodology for calculating the physical wear and tear of a building.